Let Your Love Be Strong
by arygon199
Summary: They don’t make sense. Not one bit. But that’s what he loves about them. Brucas.
1. Him

**A/N:** **This is a one shot that I've had in my head for a while now. For those of you following my story, All for Love, the next chapter should be up within the next few days, but I just had to get this one out. **

**As you'll all see it's pretty much AU, but I've always loved the idea of a world where it was Brooke that Lucas met first, instead of Peyton. Here's my take on what would happen...**

**Please let me all know what you think and leave a review!!**

**_DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. This world belongs to Mark Schwahn and the CW, I'm just playing with it. The title belongs to Switchfoot._**

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**_Let Your Love Be Strong_**

To everyone around them they're the odd couple. No one really understands them or how they came to be. His own friends don't even understand, and neither do hers for that matter.

They don't understand how people so distinctly opposite could ever work out. How could someone from two different worlds come together to become one? It just doesn't make sense to them and he understands. Because if he went back two months ago and someone told him that he, Lucas Scott, would be unconditionally in love with Brooke Davis, the girl on the path to becoming the most popular person in school, he would have laughed in their face.

They don't make sense. Not one bit. But that's what he loves about them.

And somehow, over only a short amount of time, they fell in love.

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He remembers the first time they actually talked—besides the few seconds back in fifth grade when she asked him for a pencil. It was two weeks before freshman year at Tree Hill High school was over.

He was sick to his stomach with some sort of stomach flu and was running to the nearest bathroom.

Then he bumps into her and his world has suddenly been turned upside down. They exchange a few words and, embarrassingly enough, he throws up right in front of her. She doesn't looked that amused, mostly she just looks worried.

She asks him if he's okay and he just shrugs and tells her it's some sort of flu. She asks him if he's Nathan brother and he finds himself growing angry. Any mention of Nathan usually did that to him.

"I don't like to be associated with him," he tells her.

She nods, seeming to not really understand. He helps her pick up the strewn pom poms that had been knocked over with her and asks her why she has them. She just laughs and tells him it's a favor for Morgan Finley.

"If I'm gonna be captain of the cheerleading squad by the time I'm a junior, I've gotta some major sucking up to do."

He's not sure why, but she's so much different than how he normally sees her around school. Around others she's bitchy and wild, as well as a tad bit slutty; she doesn't seem to care about anyone but herself. But, as she asks him once again if he's going to be okay, he starts to see that there's something different about her than the others.

Maybe she's not quite as one dimensional as he made her out to be…

888

She intrigues him, more so than he wants to admit. And so the next day when she asks him to be her partner in a school project, he says yes. It's for their English class and the project is for them to make a biography about their partner. He needs to know everything about her and she needs to know everything about him.

He's not sure if he likes this idea or not.

He's also not sure why she wanted to be his partner when her best friend, Peyton Sawyer, had been sitting right next to her in the back of the classroom.

Brooke is a mystery to him, one that he is in a hurry to solve.

"My house or yours?" she asks as they walk from class together. Peyton is walking a few steps behind with another popular cheerleader, Bevin. He notices the sharp stares they're both sending him and Brooke and he wonders if they're just as confused as him.

"Uh, you can decide. I'm open for anything."

"Yours then. My house is boring as hell. Plus, I'm not sure you want to meet the parents yet—they kind of suck."

It turns out that Brooke almost always gets a ride home with Morgan Finley and her crew. After all, a girl like Brooke can't be seen riding a bus home. But her friends aren't keen on adding an extra person to their already full caravan so she walks home with him. It's a bit of a long walk and he normally takes the bus with Haley, but he finds that he's having more fun talking to Brooke than he's had in a while.

They don't talk much about school. Instead she asks him about his favorite things, like food, movies, and TV shows. Then he's asks her what music she likes and he laughs when she tells her Justin Timberlake is her current favorite. Then he asks her what her favorite book is and she tells him she likes Cosmo best. He just grins and then they continue the Q and A until they finally make it to his house.

At that point he already knows that they are complete opposites when it comes to just about everything.

"Okay. Down to business…Mother's maiden name?" she asks as they sit down at the kitchen table.

"Roe," he says. "And it still is."

She nods and they ask each other questions off the of the interview sheet that their teacher gave them. He's bored with the questions and he can tell that she is too.

"Okay, I've got an interesting one," she says, looking at him mischievously. "And you've got to promise that you'll actually answer."

He's hesitant, but her flirty smile makes him give in. "Shoot."

"First kiss?"

He chuckles. "I don't really want _that_ sort of info in my biography, Brooke."

She grins. "Off the record, then. Come on, Lucas, you _promised_."

He shakes his head stubbornly. Here is Brooke, a girl he's known about most of his life but had really only _known_ for all of two hours and she wants to know who his first kiss was. She would have to work _really_ hard to get that from him.

"I'll tell you mine! That is, if I can actually remember." She laughs at herself. "My first two kisses happened within hours of each other and they were with two different guys. I always have trouble remembering which one came first. Let's see, it was sometime in first grade so…"

He nearly doubles over with laugher.

She kinks an eyebrow. "What?"

"_First_ grade? My first kiss wasn't until eighth grade, unless you count that peck on the lips from Haley in sixth grade which was completely accidental and grossed us out for life."

"Aw, so Haley was your first kiss?" She looks happy that she's got it out of him.

He shakes his head, trying to shake away the not so fond memory. "Doesn't count. Haley and I have already discussed it."

"So…you're not into her, are you?"

Lucas nearly gags at the thought. "Brooke, that'd be like me being into my little sister. We're best friends, nothing more."

"Okay….so your first kiss was I eighth grade. Now who was it? Don't make me guess, 'cause I will."

He doesn't know Brooke very well, but he can tell that she won't give in easily, so he gives up. "Fine. Jennifer Morrison."

She looks confused. "Jennifer Morrison…Wait, she's that drama nerd, right?"

He sighs. "Only in high school. In middle school, we used to hang out a lot. Anyway, it was pretty innocent. I didn't even like her that much. But there, that's your answer."

"Interesting…So, tell me…"

They go on and on about all the sort of things that would definitely _not_ be appearing in their respective biographies until his mother gets home. And, after Brooke eats dinner with the two of them and his mother gets used to Brooke's wild, outgoing personality, he walks her to the front door.

"See you tomorrow," he says, smiling lightly at her.

"Yup," she replies, grinning. "I'll keep an eye out for you."

He watches her walk down the sidewalk and into the car of her one of her friend's parents. He thinks he's sees Peyton's curly blond hair through the window, but it's too dark to see. And, as they drive away, he wonders how in the world could have woken up this morning to a Brooke-less life.

She is already changing his world and he isn't sure how he feels about it.

888

PE. Physical Education. One of his least favorite classes.

He's stuck with all the popular kids, although Haley's there to help him stick it out. But today is different.

Today Brooke Davis joins him as they are running the mile outside on the school track. He's running alone, Haley being a horrible runner and unable to keep up, when she slides slyly next to him.

"What lap are you on?" she asks, smirking at him.

"Fourth," he breathes out. Fourth and final. And he's pretty sure that he's beating Nathan. That'll be something that wipes the smile off his ungrateful face.

She laughs and tries to keep up with him. She's out of breath while his breathing is easy and strong. "I'm only on my second. You sure are fast, Lucas Scott. That's something I'll have to put in your biography."

He chuckles and then they're running past Haley, who he is lapping for the second time. There's a glare on his friend's face that she hides when Brooke waves back at her. He's frustrated by this; he wishes that Haley would understand the real Brooke Davis that he has gotten to know that past few days.

Because that Brooke Davis is like no one else he has ever known.

She is one of a kind.

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People at school are talking about them.

He and Brooke have been working on their project for a week now and their sudden friendship is growing stronger.

Students stare at them both with wide eyes as she searches him out in the cafeteria. She puts a hand on his shoulder and sits next to him with her tray on her lap. Haley, who sits across from him, looks annoyed and Mouth, Skills, Junk, and Fergie just look confused.

Standing a few feet behind her is Peyton and Bevin. They look at Brooke disapprovingly. A few tables down, Nathan is glaring at them fiercely.

"Hey, Broody." She calls him by the new nickname she gave him a few days ago. "Just wanted to say hi."

He grins as she smiles sweetly at him. "Hi, Cheery."

He can hear Haley's almost silent scoffing at their nicknames and he looks at her pointedly, trying to wordlessly tell her to stop.

"Your house tonight, right?"

He turns back to Brooke. "If that's what you want."

She nods. "It is." She looks quickly back at Peyton and the others and then turns back to him and his friends. "I'm Brooke," she says to them all and they all just nod; they know who she is. "Do you mind if I sit with you today?"

Haley's foot kicks his under the table and he holds back a groan at the pain that now radiates his foot. A fake smile is plastered all over his best friend's face and he knows how Haley feels about Brooke. But he can't say no and he doesn't _want _to say no.

"Sure."

And in that moment, he knew that Brooke Davis was not just a partner in a school project, but a friend.

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They're laying on his bed, having just completed the finishing touches on their projects, and the sides of their bodies are lightly touching. It's been two weeks. Two glorious weeks full of Brooke and he doesn't want it to end.

Her hand rests on his knee and his own hand covers hers. Over the last few weeks, he's noticed that she's a very touchy feely person, despite the fact that they're just friends. They touch each other in a way he would never dare touch Haley. She likes to hold his hand when they're walking home from school and sometimes, when she's tired or annoyed, she likes to pull his body close to hers and dig her face into the crook of his neck.

He likes to touch her hair. It sounds weird, but he does. He likes stringing his fingers through her hair when she's resting her head against his shoulder and then he'll wrap his arms around her.

People at school think they're a couple. He's never had a girlfriend before, something Brooke likes to joke about, so he's not one to judge, but the way they act sometimes when they're in public makes it look like they're together.

He likes her, though. A lot. And he wonders how everything will change once school is over. He wants to be more than just a friend to her. He wants to _be_ with her. But somehow he doesn't see it working. Not when they're so different.

She flirts with boys all the time at school. Nothing has changed there. He's pretty sure she's not a virgin and that disappoints him slightly. But then again, Brooke Davis is no saint.

She knows him better than most other people. She almost knows him as well as Haley and his mother. After only two weeks of _really_ knowing each other, she knows him amazingly well. He wonders how it happened.

He knows her well, too, but of course he doesn't know _everything_. He knows that her parents are virtually non-existent and most of her early childhood was spent with a nanny. Now that she's older, she spends most of her time at Peyton's. He learned that Peyton isn't really as hard-core as she sees at school; that she is an amazing friend with a great heart and that Brooke really wants all of them to hang out sometime soon.

She then tells him that Nathan, who is a good friend of hers, _hates_ that she is spending so much time with Lucas. He asks if Nathan likes her, but she shakes her head. No, Nathan is apparently into Peyton. Lucas thinks that's an odd combo, but he isn't one to talk. He learns that Nathan doesn't want them to hang out after this project is over but she lets him know that that is impossible; he is already too big a part of her life and she needs him. That makes him feel very good.

She tells him that her parents have already bought her first car, a convertible powder blue Volkswagen Beetle, that's waiting for her in the garage the minute she turns sixteen. Even though she has her permit, she doesn't get to drive it much because there's no one to drive with since her parents are never home and Peyton's dad works all the time. He tells her his mom can help her out if she wants and she's excited at the prospect.

Then he learns that, despite all of her money and all of her expensive clothes and her fancy car, she hasn't always been very happy. She hates that her parents are never home and she hates that when they are they try to please her by buying her fancy gifts. And apparently, up until the time she met him, the only two things that kept her happy were Peyton and cheerleading. He feels a little bad for her when she tells him that, but he told her that he would be there for her no matter what. He likes seeing her happy and he is glad that he can make her happy.

"Can I ask you something?" he asks and she turns to look at him.

"Sure."

"Why did you pick me for this project?"

"You intrigued me," she answers simply. "You were different then any guy I've ever met."

"Because I puked in front of you?"

She laughs. "No…Because you seemed to look past my popularity and see the real me. You didn't cower in my presence like other boys and you didn't look at me like you wanted to jump me like most other guys. I just wanted to know more about you and _why_ you acted that way."

He nods thoughtfully and they fall silent again. His fingers play with hers and he's tempted to ask if he can kiss her right then and there, but he doesn't. He can tell that right now she just wants a friend and if that's what she wants then that's what she'll get.

888

It's the last day of school and their projects were turned in yesterday. They now have no reason to hang out. But she still seeks him out once the final bell rings. This time Peyton is with her.

He smiles politely at Peyton and looks down at Brooke, who has grabbed both of his hands. She swings them playfully back and forth.

"Wanna hang out with me and Peyton? We're thinking of heading down to the beach."

Going to a beach with Brooke Davis sounds enticing, but he's promised Haley to celebrate the last day of school by doing their usual thing at his mother's café.

"I'd love to," he says regretfully, "but Haley and I have plans."

"Haley?"

He looks at Peyton, who's looking at him in confusion.

"She's Lucas' best friend," Brooke explains. She turns back to him. "She can come with us." Brooke seems excited about the possibility and he knows it's because she has wanted Haley to like her ever since she and Lucas have become close.

But he knows that Haley's just not ready to spend a whole afternoon at the beach with the likes of Brooke Davis and Peyton Sawyer so he turns down the offer.

"Sorry, Brooke, but we've got this tradition…It's a little hard to explain. But how about you both come by my mom's café tonight? I can see if we can get some free food and just hang out. It'll be fun."

Brooke looks delighted at this idea, but Peyton looks uncertain. Brooke accepts his offer and before they part, she places a soft kiss on his cheek.

He takes a deep breath and then Haley is by his side, looking at him curiously.

"What's up with you?"

He just smiles. "Looks like you and me are hanging out with Brooke and Peyton tonight."

Her face contorts into both anger and disbelief and he visibly winces at her oncoming wrath.

Once Haley is finished punishing him, he's worried that his arm is broken and that he'll never be able to play basketball again.

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By the time July rolls around, Haley has gotten a little bit more used to Brooke. She starts to actually talk to her when Brooke comes around for dinner at the café, sometimes with Peyton.

Lucas is starting to see why Brooke and Peyton are such great friends, although he's surprised at how opposite they are. He's learned that Peyton is into a lot of the same music he's into and that she loves to draw. And, even though Peyton is still a little awkward around him, they are becoming friends.

One night, when he and Brooke are sitting on the couch in his home after hanging out with Peyton at the beach earlier, Brooke tells him that his new friendship with Peyton is making her insecure.

He raises an eyebrow, surprised that she could ever be insecure by him and Peyton. He asks her why.

"You're so similar and I guess I'm just afraid that you'll wanna hang out with her more often once you realize how many things you have in common and how much we _don't._ I just wanna be selfish and keep you to myself sometimes."

He laughs. The idea of him ever choosing Peyton over her is insane to him, but Brooke doesn't really look amused. "Brooke," he says, looking at her seriously, "you and I share something that Peyton and I could never share. And that's the fact that we're so different that we fit together perfectly. We're completely unpredictable and exciting. Our friendship is unique. Me and Peyton, well if we were ever _anything,_ it would be a brother-sister sort of thing. And who knows, maybe we were twins separated at birth?"

She grins and takes his hand in her own, stringing her fingers through his. "Yeah, you two do look and act a lot a like."

He looks down at their intertwined hands and smiles; he can't even imagine having Peyton when he could have a girl like Brooke and he just hopes she understands that.

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They're sitting in his mother's café—him, Brooke, Haley, Keith, and his mom—and they're laughing at some joke Haley just said.

He's not really sure what it was, but he _is_ sure that he's never really been this content before. Brooke is sitting next to him, her hand playfully messing with his blond hair, which is cut short for the summer. Haley and Brooke are actually chatting like friends and his mom is watching them all interact with a smile on her face.

His mother had taken a liking to Brooke ever since the day he brought her home to work on their project. He thinks it's because she reminds her a little bit of herself when she was younger. He doesn't really care _why_ his mom likes her, though, he's just glad she does.

His Uncle Keith, while still a little confused about his and Brooke's unconventional friendship, is also quite fond of Brooke. Lucas isn't surprised by that; if anyone took a little time to get to know the real her, they wouldn't want to let her go.

"Karen, can you and I go out driving tomorrow?" Brooke asks and Karen says yes, she'd be happy to. Brooke claps her hands together excitedly and Lucas just smiles.

Here, with Brooke added to the group, it feels like family.

It feels right.

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Summer's in full swing now and they haven't hung out much for the past couple of weeks. She's busy with cheerleading practice and her other friends. She goes to parties a lot too, parties that he isn't invited to, and, even though this is something she's been doing the whole summer, he's starting to wonder why she isn't coming around as often. Sometimes she'll come over at night and eat dinner with him and his mom and sometimes Haley and Keith. Otherwise, they don't see each other much. And it's worrying him.

She tells him she's busy when he mentions it, and that she's sorry, but he can tell there's something else, something she's not telling him

Now, two weeks into August, he's sitting in his mother's café, staring forlornly out the window, when he sees her walk by. She's with a guy, Mike Walton. A junior—well, senior now—and star of the basketball team. Nathan Scott is his little prodigy. Lucas hates the guy with a passion.

And he is holding Brooke's hand, his arm wrapped possessively around her waist.

Lucas feels his face heat up with anger and he suddenly understands why Brooke hasn't been hanging out with him much. She likes someone else. And it's not him. He shouldn't be surprised, but for some reason it really hurts him. Even though he knew she just wanted friendship, he had thought it would eventually turn into something more.

"Something wrong, Lucas?"

He looks up at Haley, who has just sat down across from him.

"No."

She doesn't look convinced and then her eyes follow his to the sight of Brooke and Mike walking hand and hand down the street.

"Luke, you _knew_ that nothing could happen between you two, right? I mean, she's Brooke freaking Davis. She's off limits to guys like you. And, although I have to admit she's not as bad as she seems, you and I both know that nothing is going to change that."

He just shakes his head in anger. He doesn't want to believe Haley, but somehow he knows she right.

And he supposes he'll just have to settle for friendship.

That thought pierces his heart like a knife.

888

He's running furiously around the River Court, bypassing Skills with ease as he dunks the ball in the basket.

Basketball. The perfect way to forget all his troubles and just let go.

Suddenly everyone on the court stops playing and he looks around in confusion.

Skills points towards the street. "Looks like your girl wants to talk to you."

And then he sees Brooke standing alone on the sidewalk, her arms crossed as she watches them play with a sad smile on her face. She waves feebly at him and, even though she's a good distance away, he can see her face is red from crying.

He drops the ball and heads over towards her. "Hey," he says, unable to keep the concern out of his voice. "What's going on?"

She just sighs and then a tear streams down her face. He pulls her into his arms immediately.

"Let's go for a walk," she finally says.

They walk silently down the street. The sun is just starting to set and he knows that he will have to call his mom once it's dark to let her know where he is. He waits for her to speak, knowing that she needed to time to figure out what to say.

They're in front of Peyton's house now and she stops him. She points to the Sawyer's backyard.

"Follow me."

He does and she leads him through their yard and into the small forest behind their house. They walk through the trees for about five minutes until they reach a small clearing. She's sits down in the middle of it and he sits with her.

He notices the dim light from the Sawyer's back porch peak through the trees and wonders if Brooke's been here before.

"I like to come here to think," she explains, answering his unspoken question.

He nods. It's getting chilly and so he wraps his arms around her. He's wearing nothing but a t-shirt and basketball shirts and she's in only a black tank top and a short pair of shirts. He's suddenly aware of her exposed skin and tries desperately to distract himself from it by concentrating on her tear streaked face. He can't help it; he gently sweeps back the hair that had fallen in front of her face and places it behind her ear. Then he cups the side of her cheek with his hand.

"What's wrong, Brooke?"

She chokes back a sob. "I…I screwed up."

He waits patiently for her to continue.

She composed herself and then continues. "I've been going out with Mike Walton for a few weeks—that's why I haven hung out with you as much lately— and I… I slept with him today."

His heart breaks at her words, but he shouldn't be surprised. Gossip around school told him that Brooke Davis was not hard to get into bed. The past few months he's begun to doubt that rumor, but now he wasn't so sure. Sex was one topic he and Brooke had narrowly avoided during their conversations, mostly because he didn't want to be disappointed by her.

"Lucas…" She's crying again and he pulls her closer to him. He can't seem to understand why she's so upset, though. "This may surprise you but…it was my first time."

His eyes widen in shock and he looks down to see her staring at him, obviously waiting for his reaction.

"Oh."

"People call me a slut but that's only rumor. I'm not as easy as people claim. But Mike…God, I _hate_ him. He's a such jerk and he only wanted me because he _thought_ I was easy and he kept pressuring me and…it was horrible… It's just wasn't the way I pictured it."

There's anger sparkling in his eyes. "Brooke, he didn't _force_ you to do it, did he?"

The thought alone makes him want to strangle Mike Walton.

She shook her head quickly. "God, no. I would've kicked his ass to the curb if he had even tried. I broke up with him afterwards, though. It was just so disappointing. I just…I wanted my first time to be when I was in love and I guess I settled. The whole time, though…I just felt so guilty and I don't even know why."

Lucas didn't know why either. To be honest, he didn't even know why she was telling him this. Not when she had Peyton. If she thought it would make him feel better to know that she had only _just_ lost her virginity, then she was sorely mistaken.

"Lucas," she says, turning to look at him. "I…"

He waits, this time more impatiently. "Yeah?"

"I…I'm really sorry that I haven't been around lately. I want you to know that I never meant to put you on the back burner. These past few months with you have been amazing and I don't want the friendship we created to ever go away. But…"

He's curious now. "But what?"

She sighs and looks him straight in the eye. "But I think the reason I felt guilty about me and Mike today was because my heart belongs to someone else. And that someone is you. And I felt guilty because I knew it should've been _you_ that I was with. It sucks that it took sleeping with Mike to realize that, but that's how it happened.

"But I don't want to ruin things with you, Lucas. I've let you into my life in ways that I haven't let anyone else in. Not even Peyton. And I don't want to lose that, Lucas. I can't lose that. I need you in my life and a romantic relationship with you could ruin it… Lucas, I need to know how serious you are about me or if you even feel the same way."

His heart is beating rapidly at her words. She wants him just like he wants her. But she has a point. If their friendship was ever ruined because they broke up…he couldn't bear to think of it. He couldn't even bear to think of a break up. To be honest he didn't see how it was possible. He could easily picture loving Brooke Davis for the rest of his life.

"Brooke," he began, "I know that we've only really know each other for two months now, but I'm pretty sure I'm falling in love with you. Actually, I think I _am_ in love with you. And I can't ever picture myself falling out of love with you. It just isn't possible. I can see myself spending the rest of my life with you, if I'm being honest. And I know that sounds crazy but…it's just how I feel. I wanna be with you, Brooke. I have for awhile now. And that's how serious I am about you."

Her eyes fill up with even more tears, and he gently brings her hands up to his face, kissing her knuckles.

She moves closer to him so that nothing comes in between them. Their bodies fit perfectly—like they had found their match. "You're amazing, do you know that?"

He chuckles lightly. "You bring out the best in me," he whispers into her ear.

She pulls away slightly. "I've never been in love before, Lucas," she says seriously, "and I'm not so sure how it feels, but I'm pretty sure it must be something like this. Like how I feel about you. You've changed my life, Lucas Scott, and now I can't imagine life without you in it."

He just stares deeply into her brown eyes and smiles. Their faces move closer and closer until his lips are finally on hers. He's waited for this for two months now and it feels better than he could have possibly imagined.

And as they pull away, his grip around her tightens and she leans her head against his chest.

"You're my second kiss, you know," he says, breaking the silence that had formed.

She looks at him curiously. "Was I better than Jennifer?"

He cracks a smile. "She can't even compare."

She kisses him again, this time harder and more full of passion. Their mouths open and their tongues meet for the first time. He's never experienced something like this before and the feeling is almost indescribable.

A few minutes later and she's pulling at his shirt, but he pulls away, knowing where this is leading.

She looks a little disappointed as she looks back up at him, but not surprised.

"We have plenty of time for that," he says, stringing his hands through her hair. "But I want to take things relatively slowly. There's no need to rush."

She smiles. "That's the first time I've heard a guy say that."

He grins and kisses her again.

And he finally feels whole with her in his arms. Nothing else can make him feel this way except her. She is what holds him together and he's sure that there's no way he will ever let her go. It's not possible.

He sees a future with her—marriage, kids, a big house, maybe with a red door like her house right now—and he knows that even though he's just fifteen years old he's found his soulmate. And it's her, Brooke Davis, and he is completely, head over heels in love with her.

And he will be for the rest of his life.


	2. Her

**A/N: I hadn't originally planned on adding another chapter but I got the inspiration last night and decided to write this. I don't think there will be another chapter, but you never know. Thanks for all the reviews last chapter and I hope you enjoy this one! It's basically how everything happened from Brooke's point of view. **

* * *

She isn't quite sure how they happened. They just did. They sort of came together one day and became friends and then, after she realized they were never _just_ friends, they developed into something more. It was a very fast process and it still blows her mind how it happened.

It's weird how someone like her could fall so in love with someone like him.

They are so different.

They always will be.

But that's what makes them _them_ and she wouldn't change it for the world.

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She's pretty sure that the first time she noticed Lucas Scott was back in fourth grade during recess when she spotted him on the jungle gym, tossing a basketball into the air before catching it again. He had been all alone.

"Who's that?" she asks Peyton as they walk over to the swings. All the _cool_ kids always congregated there at the beginning of recess.

Peyton just shrugs. "I think his name is Lucas."

"He looks lonely."

"Yeah, I guess so," Peyton says before running off towards the others.

Brooke looks back one last time and notices that he is joined by a small boy with a cute smile. She's glad that he has a friend; she didn't like to see him alone.

888

The first time she remembers ever talking to him was in the school hallway, freshman year, when he practically knocked her over.

He's pretty sick—he throws up, sticking his head out through the window in just the nick of time. Normally she'd laugh at this and tell all of her friends about the gross boy who puked in front of her and then her friends would pick on him mercilessly for the rest of his high school life.

But she doesn't want to. Instead she puts a hand on his shoulder and asks if he's okay. He tells her he is.

She recognizes him from around school and she knows that he is Nathan Scott's half-brother. They share the same father, but Dan abandoned Lucas and his mother when they were little and then knocked up another girl, Deb, in college. It was a pretty twisted story. But she thinks that Lucas is better off; she's met Dan plenty of times and, besides the fact that he's a bit of a perv, he treats Nathan like he's his coach instead of his father. She feels bad for Nathan and she hopes Lucas has a better life.

When she mentions Nathan, he gets angry. She backs down, but she doesn't completely understand why he's so bothered.

They exchange a few more words and Brooke decides that he is a very interesting person. She can tell that he is polite by the way he offers to help pick up the pom poms she had dropped when he bumped into her. And she can tell he is respectful by the way he looks her straight in the eye when he talks to her, instead of down lower, where most boys look. He is smart too, if the big books he is carrying in his arms have anything to do with it. And he's handsome. He has short blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes with a cute button nose and sweet smile. Not to mention he's pretty muscular for just a freshman.

He looks like a protector—someone who saves and protects others from danger. She doesn't know why she thinks that, but she does know that she needs someone like this in her life.

And, as she watches him walk away, she realizes that she also needs to know more about him.

She makes it her goal to figure him out.

888

She's given the perfect opportunity to get to know Lucas when her English teacher assigns them a project to work on during the remaining few weeks of school. She sees his blonde head in the front of the class and knows that fate has worked its magic.

"You and me, right?" Peyton asks as the teacher tells them to pick their partners.

She ignores her best friend and walks straight to the front of the class. Lucas is just about to turn to one of his friends when she taps his shoulder.

He looks surprised to see her. "Uh…hi, Brooke."

"Wanna be my partner?" she asks cheerfully.

His face is scrunched up in confusion and his friend is looking at them both curiously as she waits for him to answer.

"Um, sure." He turns to look at the boy sitting next to him. "Sorry, Mouth."

The boy called Mouth just shrugs and heads over to another kid.

She's happy with herself. She didn't actually think that, given the fact they were from completely opposite social groups, she would ever find time to interact with him again. But this biography project is the perfect opportunity.

She walks with him to his house after school. It's a nice place, nothing like her house, but it's very homely and unique, something she can't say about her own home.

He warms up to her very quickly and, when they are supposed to be asking questions off of the interview sheet given to them in class, they instead talk about trivial, but more interesting, points of their lives.

She learns that his mother, Karen, owns a café in town. It's called Karen's Café and she thinks she's heard of it before. She's also managed to learn who his first kiss was and it was all too easy to get out of him.

She's very curious about his friend, Haley. Today when she had been observing him during lunch and all of the other classes she and him both shared, she noticed that he and Haley were almost always together, except when they didn't have classes together. He says that they're like brother and sister, but she isn't so sure. She also isn't sure why she feels a bit threatened by Haley, but she doesn't bother to dwell on it because she really has no reason to. He's a new friend, nothing more.

Then his mom comes home and, since Peyton's dad would be picking her up in an hour, she sticks around to eat dinner with them. She really likes Karen. She's got that caring motherly thing going on, but not in a condescending sort of way like most other parents she knew, including her own.

When Lucas tells Karen that she is a cheerleader, Brooke is interested in hearing that Karen had been one too. They bond over that over dinner and before she knows, Peyton and her father are parked in front of the house, waiting for her. Her parents were once again out of town and she was staying the night at the Sawyers.

He walks her to the front door and she loves how polite he is. So far, she is very impressed by Lucas Scott.

He smiles. "See you tomorrow."

"Yup. I'll keep an eye out for you."

When she steps into the car and Peyton asks what in the hell is going on, she is too lost in her thoughts to explain.

Lucas is the only thing on her mind. She _still_ needs to know more about him.

He's a bit of a mystery and she can't wait to figure him out.

888

Her friends are curious about Lucas. But Nathan is not happy.

"Tell me that Tim was lying when he told me you asked _him_ to be your partner for English," Nathan angrily demands the next day. They are standing in the middle of the crowded hallway in between classes.

She cocks an eyebrow; she still isn't sure why Nathan hates Lucas so much.

"It's true," she says airily.

He groans. "Why the _hell_ would you do that?"

"Why the hell do you care?" she challenges.

He grits his teeth and speaks in a dangerously low tone. "He's not one of us and you hanging out with him is gonna make him think he is. I swear, Brooke, if you give him any ideas—."

She cuts him off with a snicker. "Get over yourself, Nathan. I'll hang out with him if I want and you have absolutely no say in this it all."

With that she walks away, hearing his angry groan as she turns the corner.

She doesn't care what Nathan, or anyone else for that matter, thinks about her working with Lucas. This is her choice, _her_ business, and, unless Nathan knows Lucas, he has no right to hate him so much.

888

The next day when they're working on their project together, she asks him about his uncle, Keith. She notices that he comes around a lot and wonders if there's anything going on with him and Karen.

Lucas laughs. "Not now, but someday."

He tells her all about Keith. She also finds out that Lucas works part-time at Keith's auto-repair shop. This makes her smile; she's always had a thing for mechanics. He also tells her how Keith is like a father to him and it makes her happy to know that Lucas grew up in such a loving home.

"You know, and please don't get angry with me for saying this, but you're so much better off than Nathan." His face grows a little pale at this, but she continues. "He's so unhappy. All his dad cares about are his basketball stats, and his mom works like crazy. I think that might be why he hates you so much—because you have the life that he wishes he had."

Lucas looks uncertain. "I don't think so…"

She doesn't push the topic any further; she doesn't think she has the right to. Instead they move onto the topic of pop music verses alternative and that has him ranting for the rest of the afternoon.

888

Peyton is angry at her for ditching her and the others again at lunch today, but Brooke couldn't help it; she just needed to be around Lucas. There's something about him that makes her feel good about herself. She thinks it's because he see the real her instead of the her that people at school gossip about.

"Why are you so obsessed with him, anyway?" Peyton asks as they walk up the stairs and into her best friend's bedroom. "I mean, this past week you've been insistent on being around him and it's getting really annoying."

She sighs. "We're working on a project together, what do you expect?"

Peyton shakes her head. "Why did you even _choose_ him in the first place? You could have chosen me."

"I wanted him," she mutters. She doesn't want to explain this all to Peyton right now—she's not sure her friend would even understand.

_She_ doesn't even fully understand why she is suddenly so obsessed with him.

All she knows is that she likes being around him and she doesn't want to stop any time soon.

888

On the tenth day of working on the project they're growing bored. They're almost finished and they still have a few more days to finish it, so Lucas decides to take a break and take her somewhere special to him.

He brings her to the River Court, a place that he tells her he likes to think and do what he loves best: play basketball.

She's honored that he trusts her enough to take her here. It's almost as if it's an oath of friendship; he trusts and likes her enough to bring her to his favorite place.

A lot of his friends from school are here. She's met most of them before and she sat at lunch with a lot of them today.

She sits on the bench next to Mouth and smiles. She likes Mouth—he reminds her a little bit of Lucas in that he's just as sweet and respectful. He's sitting next to someone she hasn't met yet and Mouth introduces him as Jimmy Edwards. Mouth and Jimmy do a cute little play by play of the guys on the court and she smiles as she listens.

Then she watches Lucas play.

He's incredible. He's better than a lot of the players on varsity at their school.

She can't help but smile as she watches him; he's in his element on that court, doing what he loves, and she's not sure she's seen him this happy before.

It amazes her.

He takes a break after about a half hour of non-stop play and comes to sit next to her. He's sweaty but he's wearing a big smile. She reaches for his hand.

"You look great out there."

He grins and looks at their intertwined hands. "Thanks…I love it."

"They could use a guy like you on the team at school."

She knows that she's said the wrong thing when he pulls his hand from hers and looks away with a frown on his face.

"I like it here," he says after a few seconds. And then he turns back to her confidently. A smile once again graces his face and she's glad that she hasn't ruined his mood completely.

She understands why he doesn't want to join the team, but she still wishes he would consider it. The Ravens need him. But she won't push him; if he wants to join, he will.

She'll support him in whatever he wants to do.

Because that's what friends do.

888

School is over and so is their project. She's not finished with Lucas, however. Tonight she's hanging out with him, Haley, and Peyton at Karen's Café. She's happy that they all are going to be together— her best friend and his best friend hanging out with the both of them.

It will be good.

It turns out to be very awkward at first. Haley is looking anywhere but them and Peyton is having trouble hiding the scowl on her face. They both don't want to be there.

Lucas looks a bit uncomfortable. He's sitting next to Haley and her, his arm hanging over the edge of her chair, and is picking at his French fries silently.

Brooke breaks the silence by mentioning one of Lucas' favorite bands that she also knows Peyton loves. The conversation immedietly starts up and continuously flows the rest of the night.

She and Haley talk a little bit about nothing in particular. She doesn't have much in common with her except Lucas, but she is sure that they will eventually click. After all, she and Peyton barely had anything in common and they're best friends.

At the end of the night, everyone seems to be a lot more comfortable with each other. Peyton and Lucas have a lot in common and they become quick friends. She doesn't know for sure how she feels about this, though. There's a bit of jealousy that fills her mind when she thinks about Lucas and Peyton ever hanging out without her and she's not sure why.

She and him are just friends, right? Why should she care if he ever becomes interested in Peyton?

She can't answer that question without lying to herself because she knows by now that she wants Lucas as more than just a friend.

She just doesn't think he feels the same way.

888

She's having a bad night.

For once her parents are actually home but they're fighting over, once again, money issues. This is normal but it still bothers her.

She's trying to sleep, but their voices seem to be getting louder and louder.

She's had enough.

Making her way quietly down the stairs, she slips past them without notice and heads out the front door.

Although she hasn't officially decided where she is going, her feet are leading her towards his house. It's a very long walk but she knows it's worth it.

Almost an hour later and she's standing at the door to his bedroom. She's always wondered why Karen let him have this bedroom when he could easily escape without being noticed. She'd kill to have a room like this. But then again, her parents never notice her anyway, so what would be the point?

She knocks lightly on the door, knowing that he likes to keep it locked.

When he opens it his eyes are adjusting to the bright porch light behind her and he looks a little confused.

"Everything okay?" he asks anxiously.

She just shrugs and then he pulls her inside. He lies down on his bed and she lies with him. His arms wrap around her protectively and she's immediately comforted by his touch.

After a few minutes of silence he asks her what's wrong. She twists around in his bed to face him and then she explains everything about her parents and how she couldn't take it anymore and she just needs to be with him. His arms tighten around her and he whispers encouraging words in her ear as she rests her head against his chest.

She wonders how he's always able to make everything better for her. There are very few people in her life that can do that for her and even those few have to try very hard.

But with Lucas it is effortless.

Everything with them is effortless.

888

It's a beautifully clear summer day and she, Peyton, and Lucas are at the beach. As she and Peyton bathe in the sun, he is in the water, swimming like a dolphin. She loves watching him, mostly because he looks great without a shirt on.

She really can't lie there.

"Mmm, he sure is sexy."

Her eyes narrow at Peyton's words. She doesn't like the thought of anyone else thinking that but her. It's ridiculous, but she can't help it.

Peyton's face is full of amusement when Brooke turns to look at her. She tries to hide her annoyance but she knows it's not working.

"Relax, Brooke," Peyton finally says after an uncomfortable bout of silence, "it's not a crime to think your man is sexy. Because let's face it, he really is."

"He's not my _man_, Peyton. And you can say whatever you want about him."

Peyton laughs. "Come on, Brooke, you and I both know that isn't true. I'm surprised you haven't branded him with your own special little mark to let everyone know he's yours."

Brooke rolls her eyes, but lightens up. "What, you mean like a tattoo? Because I've definitely considered it. I'm thinking he can get one similar to the one I got a couple of months ago. But his can be in a more noticeable spot, so everyone knows he's mine."

"So you finally admit that he's yours?"

She just shrugs.

Peyton shakes her head and laughs some more, but Brooke is serious. She likes the idea of sharing something like a tattoo with Lucas.

Because that means they'll be forever connected, no matter what.

And she wants that more than anything.

888

It's nearing the end of July and today she is spending her afternoon alone in her air conditioned house. She's incredibly bored. Peyton is hanging out with Nathan and she would have gone along with her but she and Nathan have been on the outs lately and she doesn't feel like dealing with him.

Lucas is working. She wants to hang out with him badly, but she knows he won't be off for another couple of hours.

But decides she doesn't care—she wants to see him.

So she pulls her car out of the garage and, despite the fact that she still has no license, drives over to Keith's auto shop. She's been driving with Karen a lot this summer and has got down the basics. She's a little worried she'll get pulled over, but Karen's a good teacher and she makes it to Keith's shop unscathed.

She spies Lucas in the back in his uniform. He looks good smothered in grease and sweat. She's _very _turned on.

He looks up from the car he's examining and smiles when he sees her.

"What're you doing here, Cheery?" he asks, walking over to her.

She just stands there, trying very hard to ignore how sexy he looks in that black jumpsuit.

"I just wanted to see you," she finally gets out.

He's oblivious to her reaction to him and for that she's happy—it'll save her a great deal of embarrassment. She asks him if he thinks he can get out early and he shakes his head—he doesn't want to ask that of Keith. But, as his uncle comes out a second later, she asks Keith if Lucas can get off early and Keith, being the great guy he is, lets him go.

She eagerly grabs Lucas' hand and pulls him outside. She can tell he's happy to be getting out early, even though he feels a little bad.

His face changes when he sees her car.

"Brooke, did you _drive_ here?"

She nods happily. "Yup."

His eyes are narrowed as he looks at her incredulously. "Brooke, that's _illegal_," he says.

She shrugs. "I know, but I had to get here somehow and I _definitely_ wasn't taking the bus."

His face turns from disbelief to amusement. "You're something else, Brooke Davis. You're the craziest person I know."

She just smiles. "Admit it, your life was incredibly boring before I came along wasn't it?"

"Yeah," he says, laughing, "I guess it was."

She puts her hand up to his face and wipes away a smudge of grease. He looks down at her, the smile on his face faltering slightly as they both find themselves lost in each other's eyes. She not even sure what she's doing, but she moves her face closer to his, preparing to meet his lips for the first time.

And then Keith comes out of the shop.

"Hey, Luke, you forgot you check."

Lucas' head moves back so quickly that she's afraid he'll get whiplash. Then he looks away from her and walks over to meet his uncle. He thanks Keith and then he comes back to her, studiously avoiding her eyes.

She's not sure what to think as she drives them both to his house. He's quiet most of the ride and she doesn't say anything either.

When they step inside his house to find Haley waiting for them they start talking again and soon everything is back to normal. It's like everything is forgotten.

And she's not sure that's a good thing.

888

There's a big party tonight and Nathan has made it a point that she _has_ to come. She asks if she can bring Lucas and he just laughs in her face. She asks Lucas anyway, but he politely refuses; parties aren't his thing is his excuse.

She has to admit that the party _is_ very good. It's thrown by Morgan Finley and it's a common fact that Morgan always throws the best ones. It's at Morgan's huge beach house and there's a big bon fire on the beach, which Brooke and Peyton are both currently standing around. As she admires the huge fire, she feels an arm wrap around her shoulder.

"Brooke Davis, I've been looking everywhere for you."

She looks to her side to see a familiar face from school. Mike Walton is a tall, brawny guy with short brown hair and a cocky smile. He's captain of the basketball team and he and Nathan are pretty good friends. A few months ago she'd had a crush on him, but now she thinks he's a bit too arrogant for her liking. Still, he was _very_ nice to look at and he would be a senior next year, so she wasn't ruling him out for anything.

"Hi, Mike," she says, taking a sip of her drink. Peyton looks at her with raised eyebrows and then leaves them alone.

"Having fun?"

"Yup."

He puts a hand on her hip and she cocks an eyebrow. He smiles and lowers his head down to hers. She's a little drunk and so she allows him to kiss her. Just for a second.

He grins cockily as she pulls away. "Are you single, Brooke?" he asks.

For some reason this question baffles her. Is she single? She's pretty sure she is. But she's also pretty sure that this friendship she and Lucas have is not normal to the outside world. He's almost like a best friend now; except she knows that she wants more.

But she's single. That is a fact. She shouldn't feel guilty about that.

"Yes," she answers confidently.

"Good," he says, "cause I've had my eye on you for awhile now."

His lips meet hers again and she doesn't pull away this time. She let's herself get lost in a different world, but, in the very back of her mind, the thought of Lucas still lingers.

888

She has no idea what she's doing with Mike. She supposes they're going out, but she doesn't feel any connection to him what so ever. Nathan is floored that she is seeing someone besides Lucas, while Peyton is confused and thinks she's just doing this to distract herself from telling Lucas her real feelings.

She can't deny that.

Mike doesn't like Lucas either and he doesn't like it when she tells him that she is having dinner with him and Karen for the second time that week and he doesn't like how much they hang out. He says it's weird and that she and Lucas couldn't possibly be just friends.

She wishes it was that way.

So she hangs out with Lucas less and less during the next two weeks. And she doesn't even know why she's giving in to Mike, she just knows that she feels horrible about it because she feels like she's abandoning him.

She knows she is hiding from her feelings for him and that because doesn't think he wants her that way. Besides, a girl like her is not good enough for a guy like him. Plain and simple.

So she is settling for Mike. She knows that and she is okay with that.

For now.

But today everything changes.

They're in his car and they're making out. He's pulling off her clothes and she's letting him. She's never gone this far with a guy before and she's feeling a bit confused.

Mike has been frustrated with her ever since they got together; he'd thought he'd have a much easier time getting her into bed.

Everyone labels her as easy and she lets them. She doesn't know why, but she does. And that gives people false impressions of her and obviously higher expectations for the guys. She's also pretty sure that's why Mike is so interested in her.

She's prepared to tell him to stop but for some reason she doesn't. And the whole time she's thinking of Lucas and of how disappointed he would be in her. And then she's wishing that it was him she was with.

And then it's over.

Mike seems satisfied but she's just angry with herself for trying to ignore what she's known all along—Lucas is the only guy she wants. There's no one else for her. And she can't keep it from him any longer; he deserves to know how she feels.

She steps out of the car, pulling her clothes back on and walks away.

"Where're you going?" Mike calls back to her.

She freezes. "I can't do this," she says quietly.

"What? Why?"

"I'm sorry, Mike, but my heart belongs to someone else."

With that she walks away.

She doesn't know where she's going— she just knows that she has to see him.

The first place she checks is where she knows he will be.

And he is.

She stands on the sidewalk and watches silently as he plays basketball with his friends on the River Court. He looks so intense right now, more so than she's ever seen him. She doesn't want to interrupt his game and so she waits patiently for him to finish.

But his friend, Skills, pauses and points over in her direction and then he's looking at her, his gaze penetrating her own. Then he's running over to her, a look of concern written clearly across his face.

"Hey…What's going on?"

She's not even sure how to answer that, but she knows that she needs to talk to him about everything. It's so overwhelming for her. She feels a few more tears make their way down her cheek and then melts as his arms wrap around her.

She could stay in his embrace forever, but she needs to talk to him and she knows it can't be right here, in front of all his friends.

So she takes his hand. "Let's go for a walk."

She decides to take him to the one place she has shared with no one else. Not even Peyton, which is a bit surprising since this place is practically in Peyton's backyard. But she wants to take him there because she knows that it is there that she will find the comfort and the strength to tell him everything.

He looks confused as she leads him through Peyton's backyard and into the big patch of trees behind her house.

They they're there and she sits down in the small, grassy clearing and he sits with her. He wraps his arms around her again and she closes her eyes. She leans her head against his shoulder.

She can't see him, but she knows his gaze is on her and then she feels him cup her cheek.

"What's wrong, Brooke?"

She takes a deep breathe and gets ready to tell him about everything.

And then it all comes out and it's much easier than expected. But she hates the look of disappointment that crosses his face when she tells him about Mike and she equally hates how surprised he seems that she's been a virgin up until today. For once, she wishes no one had started those rumors about her. For once she's actually ashamed.

But she looks past his disappointment and bravely moves on. She tells him how guilty she had felt with Mike and how much she had wished it was him who she was with. She tells him that her heart belongs only to him; there's no way she can give it to anybody else. Then she tells him that she's scared that a romantic relationship could ruin everything they've created. Finally, she asks him how he feels about her and just how serious he is about them and their friendship. Because if they're going to do this, they _have_ to be serious about each other.

His answer makes her heart leap.

"Brooke," he says, "I know that we've only really know each other for two months now, but I'm pretty sure I'm falling in love with you. Actually, I think I _am_ in love with you."

He goes on to tell her how that he can't ever imagine falling out of love with her and that he can see him spending the rest of his life with her. He wants to be with her. And she is practically floating on air at his words.

"And that's how serious I am about you," he finishes.

She's crying now, but these are happy tears, and then he pulls her close to him and she's can't even believe that she's found a guy like him.

Who'd have thought a girl like her could have found her soulmate at fifteen years old? She's actually pretty sure that two _months_ ago she would have thought this was impossible.

But it's not and both of them have figured that out first hand.

Then she tells him that she's pretty sure she's in love with him because she _knows_ that never in her life has she felt this way before. He's changed her life.

And then they kiss.

Finally.

She's waited for this for awhile now.

He doesn't disappoint, despite the fact that this is only his second time around. She actually is honored that she's his second kiss, although she'd like it even more if she was his first. But then again she'll be his first for a lot of other things.

She's looking forward to that.

Then they're kissing again and they don't break apart for awhile. He stops her when her hands goes under his shirt. He's such a gentleman.

And she loves it.

They stay out there for another half hour. The sun has set and the moon is shining down on them. It's getting cold and, when they decide to leave, he takes her hand and gently helps her up.

They walk through the trees and past Peyton's house and then down the street towards his house.

His hand is still in hers and, even though they've held hands before, this time is different. His thumb is rubbing hers in soft strokes and the feeling is soothing. They walk as close as they possibly can to each other and their arms are practically intertwined.

She can tell they're going to be a major PDA couple.

And she loves that, too.

She loves everything about them.

She loves him most though.

When they make it to his house he pauses outside his bedroom. He takes her other hand in his and pulls her body close to his. She smiles as his hands move to her hip and rest comfortably there. She rests her head against his chest and sighs contently.

"I don't want to go home," she says.

"I don't want you to, either."

She looks up at him. "So what're we gonna do?"

He kisses her forehead. "You're going to come in and spend the night with me."

She likes the idea, but she's not sure how it will work. "I'm not sure you mom will like that."

"She let's Haley sleep over all the time. And most of the time we're in the same bed."

"Yeah, but Haley's just a friend."

He grins. "Yeah and that's what my mom and everyone else thinks we are right now. She doesn't need to know otherwise until morning."

She smiles, impressed at his thinking. "I love the way you think, Lucas Scott."

He kisses her, pressing her against the door. When they pull apart he is looking at her seriously.

"I love you, Brooke," he says, wiping a stray hair from her face.

She knows that he does but to hear him say it out loud makes her unbelievably happy. She pulls his face back to hers, rewarding him with a long, hard kiss.

"I love you, too," she says when she finally pulls away.

The smile on his face is the biggest she's ever seen on him and it makes her happy to know that she can do that to him.

Because he does the same thing for her.

And, as they slip into his room and into his bed and his arms once again make their way around her body, she knows that this is how it will be for the rest of her life. She wants to fall asleep next to him every night and wake up to him every morning.

And if she can just have that, then she'll be fine.

Lucas Scott is all Brooke Davis needs.

He is her everything and she is his.

And that's how it will always be.


End file.
